Two-speed gearing for velocipedes.



- No. 659,5". Patented 0ct..9, I900. A. DIDIERJEAN.

TWO SPEED HEARING FOR VELOOIPEDES.

(Application filed May 28, 1898.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

1 Patented Oct. 9, I900. A. DlDlE-BJEAN.

TWO SPEED GEARING FOR VELOCIPEDES.

(Application file d May 23, 1898.)

2 Shaets-Sheet 2.

name STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALEXIS DIDIERJEAN, OF STJ'QUENTIN, FRANCE.

TWO-SPEED GEARl NG FOR VELOCIPE'DES.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent N0. 659,511, dated October9, 1900.

Application filed May 23, 1898. Serial No. 681,496. (No model.)

To LZZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ALEXIS DIDIERJEAN, a citizen of the Republic ofFrance, residing at St. Quentin, France, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Two-Speed Gearing for Velocipedes and otherVehicles, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to velocipedes and motor-cycles driven bytransmissionchains; and the special object thereof is an arrangementallowing the speed of the velocipedes or motor-cycles to beinstantaneously changed Without dismounting any part thereof.

The arrangements for changing speed hitherto employed are veryexpensive, of a disagreeable view, and often very difficult to operate.M0reover,-these arrangements do not allow of obtaining a desiredvariation of speed. These inconveniences are obviated by theconstruction and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described,illustrated in the drawings, and pointed out in the appended claim.

In the annexed drawings is given as an example a practical form ofconstruction of the improved arrangement.

In the drawings, Figure 1 shows an elevation of the mechanism for changeof speed. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same mechanism. Fig. 3 shows anelevation of another mechanism different from the preceding one. Fig. 4is a plan view of the latter mechanism. Fig. 5 shows the hub of thedriving-wheel, partly seen in longitudinal section. Fig. 6 is a sideview of one of the pinions of the drivingwheel. Fig. 7 is a side view ofthe clutch coupling-box and the collar thereof. Fig. 8 shows the clutchof the coupling-box in front and side views. Fig. 9 is a front View ofthe coupling arrangement different from the preceding one. Fig. 10 is anend view of the coupling with the outer sprocket removed.

In the various figures similar letters of reference denote correspondingparts.

A indicates the axle of the crank.

B is the hub of the driving-wheel.

D is the driving transmission-wheel mounted on the crank-axle.

E is the full-speed pinion of the drivingwheel. I

O is an axle driven by the intermediate pinion F.

G is a pinion mounted on the intermediate axle and driving thehalf-speed pinion of the driving-wheel.

H is the half-speed pinion of the driving wheel.

I is a pinion of the intermediate axle driving the full-speed pinion ofthe driving-Wheel.

J indicates the driving-chain.

K and L are the transmission-chains.

M is a coupling-box.

N indicates. the coupling-collar.

0 indicates the clutches, and P are the operating-levers of the collarN.

The intermediate axle C, placed in a same horizontal plane with the axleA of the crank and the axle B of the driving-wheel, is arranged betweenthese two axles on \he frame of the machine adapted for this purpose,Figs. 1 and 2.

On the intermediate axle are mounted the pinions F and G, the saidpinion F being in the same vertical plane with the wheel D and thepinion B and the said pinion G. driving the pinion H by means of thechain K.

The two pinions H and E are loosely mounted on the hub B of thedriving-wheel, and the pinion E is driven by the driving-chain J,engaging also with the wheel F to actuate the intermediate axle 0, Figs.1 and 2.

With the arrangement shown in Figs. 3 and 4 the pinions H and E arerespectively driven by the transmission-pinions G and I and the chains KL, and the driving-chain J actuates only the pinion F,wedged on theintermediate axle O.

The pinions E and H of the driving-wheel are made integral with the hubof said driving-wheel by means of the couplingshown in Figs. 5, 6, and 7of the annexed drawings.

The coupling-box is composed of a sleeve located between theloosely-mounted pinions E and H and having at itscenter an octagonalhole 61, within which fits the end of hub B. The sleeve M has twodiametrically-opposite notches f, receiving the movable clutch-teeth O0, adapted to turn around pivots g 9'', respectively, said pivots beingsecured to sleeve M. The free ends of said clutch-teeth carry screws t,on which are rotatably held small balls h h. A circular ring or collarN, having an inner semicircular groove, is fitted around said balls h hand adapted to be moved sidewise by means of levers P P, secured to thecollar and extending within reach of the hands of the occupant of themachine. On the extremities j of the sleeve are arranged the pinions EH, which by means of balls is, held in position by screw-nuts Z, turnfreely on the said sleeve M, the said pinions being moreover provided ontheir inner side faces with a ratchet-toothing b, with which cansuccessively engage the said clutch 0. As said ringN and teeth 0 O aremoved to the right, Fig. 5, said teeth will be brought in engagementwith corresponding clutch-teeth on the inner side of pinion H, wherebythe latter will be rotated with sleeve M and therefore with hub B. Onthe other hand, as said ring or collar N is moved to the left, Fig. 5,said teeth 0 Owill be disengaged from pinion H and brought in engagementwith corresponding clutch-teeth on the inner side of pinion E, wherebythe latter will be rotated with sleeve M and therefore with hub B.

The coupling arrangement shown in Fig. 9 differs from the preceding onein that the pinions E H turn directly on the hub of the driving-wheeland in that the clutches O are replaced by ratchet-toothings b, arrangedon the lateral faces of the sleeve M and producing the engaging(coupling) of one of the pinions E H with the said sleeve if this sleevebe removed to the right or the left by means of the levers P and thecollar N, arranged in the same way as with the coupling shown in Figs. 5and 7.

Let us suppose for easy demonstration and as an example the drivingtransmissionwheel D, Figs. 1 and 2,'having twenty-four teeth, the wheelF having sixteen teeth, and the pinions E G H having each eight teeth.By each revolution of the crank-shaft the pinion E makes three turns,while the wheel F, and consequently the pinions G and H, will make butone and onehalf turns. If either half or full speed is to be obtained,it will be sufficient to cause the pinion H or the pinion F, engagingwith. the sleeve M by moving by means of the levers P, Figs. 5 and 7,the collar N to the right or to the left, to engage the clutches O withthe suitable pinion now carrying the said sleeve, and thus transmittingby the said sleeve the movement of rotation to the driving-wheel.

The operation of the arrangement shown in Figs. 3 and 4 is the same aswith the preceding one, and if we suppose the pinions E G I alwayshaving the number of teeth already indicated and the proportion of thewheels D and F always being the same the axle C will make one and a halfturns at each turn of the crank-shaft, and consequently the pinion E,driven by the pinionLwill make three turns, while the pinion H, drivenby the pinion G, will only make one and a half turns. In order to obtainthe one or the other velocity, it suffices, therefore, to cause thesleeve of the coupling-box to engage with the one or the other of thepinions E H.

It will be seen that according to the velocities to be obtained thenumber of axles and intermediate pinions may be increased and that,furthermore, by placing a similar arrangement on the other side of thedrivingwheel four changes of speed are produced instead of two.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

In a change-speed gear, the combination with a driving sprocket wheel,of a rear driven axle, a wheel thereon, sprocket-wheels arranged overand loose with respect to the hub of said wheel and provided withopposing clutch-teeth, an intermediate axle, sprocket-wheels mountedthereon, means for communicating motion from the sprocketwheel on thecrank-axle to the said sprocketwheels on the intermediate axle and theloose sprocket-wheels, and a coupling device for transmitting motionfrom either of the loose sprocket -wheels to the rear driven wheel,comprising a sleeve mounted on the hub of the latter wheel and carryingthe loose sprocket-wheels and provided on its periphery with notches andclutches pivoted to the sleeve and adapted to move laterally to engagethe clutch-teeth of the loose sprocketwheels, a roller carried by eachof the clutches at its outer end, a ring with which the rollers engage,and means for shifting the ring laterally for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

ALEXIS DIDI ERJ E AN.

Witnesses EDOUARD BOURCHAINBY, I-IELARIoN HIRSOHLE.

